


Better than We've Had

by TransientGuest



Category: Gay Pirates (song), Original Work
Genre: A.B.S., Captain - Freeform, Drinking, Family, Knaves, M/M, Ocean, Pillaging, Pirates, Quartermaster, Quatermaster/A.B.S., Rascals, Sailing, Scoundrels, Sea, Song - Freeform, Villains, gaypirates, oldflame, pirate, previousonenightstand, walktheplank, whores
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-30
Updated: 2016-09-10
Packaged: 2018-05-10 09:11:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 17
Words: 19,717
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5579749
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TransientGuest/pseuds/TransientGuest
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The pirate ship Intrepid was looking for some additional able bodied sailors for their next excursion.  Looking for some extra money, I eagerly agreed to work.  Never did I imagine that I’d see him again.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

  * For [all the gay pirates in my life](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=all+the+gay+pirates+in+my+life).



> If you are easily offended by situational swearsies and just plain vulgar offensive language, probably not the best story to read. If not, enjoy!

The insults continued but I paused in my walking.

There at the beginning of the plank standing right next to the captain was my love. He looked roughened up quite a bit and, like me, his hands were bound behind his back. I found myself hoping they didn’t tie his hands up as tight as mine. It was bad enough they were tied up at all.

Why were they tied though? Surely the captain wasn’t going to make his own brother walk the plank. I couldn’t stand it if Sebastian were to suffer the same fate as me.

Then all at once rage hit me. I charged forward trying to attack the captain. “How could you do this?” I shouted at the man. “How could you do this to your own brother?”

But my shouts went unanswered by the cold hearted man.

I was pushed up onto the piece of wood with Sebastian right next to me. We were facing each other pressed close together so we both could stand on the thin board. If my hands were unbound I would have embraced him.   As it were, I gazed into his eyes knowing this would be the last opportunity I would ever get to do so.

Sebastian broke my gaze and looked to his left. I looked to my right to see what had taken his attention away from me. There, far in the distance, was land. We were both avid swimmers and I knew we’d have no problem making it to the distant shore. But with our hands tied, it was another unobtainable dream.

Just like carrying out a life with the man I loved.

Mark sneered at the two of us perched on the plank. “Any last words?” he asked taking on the role of executioner in stride. _Bastard_.

Sebastian refused to say anything. Instead he spat at the crew. I think it got his point across.

Instead of even glancing towards the crew I fixed my eyes on Sebastian’s stormy orbs. “I love you.” I spoke with strength I definitely didn’t think I possessed.

He just looked at me and nodded. He knew.

I just needed him to hear it one last time. “I’m yours, you know,” I all but whispered to him.

“I know,” his lips moved but no sound came out.

“And if Hell’s really where we’re going then I’ll love you still in Hell,” I promised.

No sooner had the words left my mouth than we were pushed off the plank.

And down we fell.


	2. Chapter One

I never thought I’d see him again. Sebastian, that little tryst in the dark all those months ago, yet here he stood, strong and proud, the quartermaster of the _Intrepid,_ the lovely disreputable pirate ship I was sailing on. My eyes did a casual once over of his physique. He looked good.

Just as I remembered.

Then I went back for a second and third glance.

Unsurprisingly he caught my ogling and gave me a stern look that did little to curb my reignited desires.

He was just as I remembered him, outwardly, at least.

 

* * *

 

 

I suppose at this time I should explain how I came to be aboard a ship such as the _Intrepid_ in the first place. The easiest explanation: I needed money.

Being a long time member of a crew on a sailing vessel, I became pretty good at my job at sea. I was competent at all the on deck positions and could even navigate the ship in a pinch.

Life was looking up.

Then they discovered my secret. 

Something they didn’t like about me at all.

I’m a lover of men.

Back gammon player.

Molly.

Sodomite.

Call me what you will.

I cannot change how I am.

And I don’t want to.

Instead of throwing me overboard the benevolent captain decided he would let me off at the next port. After all, I had been a capable and valuable member of his crew for twelve years. His final decision with all the details spelled out was that I would work without pay for the remaining time on the ship and then they would drop me, never to be seen by the likes of them again. They left me penniless.

After the tearful parting, I tried to get work for weeks. No ships were looking for anyone. I suspect that my old ship might have dissuaded others from hiring me, but of this I have no proof. Who, in their right minds would not hire someone who spent half their life out on the ocean?

Then, through word of mouth, in one of the bleaker sections of town, I learned of the _Intrepid_ making port. She was looking for additional sailors for her next voyage. I had heard of the ship. I knew she was a pirates’ vessel. A well-known pirates’ vessel. 

After a long debate between me and my grumbling stomach I decided, irate ship or not, I was going to become a member of the crew. 

We, the other _Intrepid_ hopefuls and myself, lined up on the dock. A man from the crew who introduced himself as the boatswain inspected out appearance, seeing if we measured up to the physical standards set by the captain. He walked down the line slowly seeing if anybody would crack under his intense gaze. Occasionally he would stop and ask a few questions of some poor individual before either shaking their hand or moving on to the next person. As luck would have it, he stopped in front of me.

“Well, you certainly look like an able bodied sailor,” he sneered making the offhanded comment seem like an insult. “Any experience?”

“Yes sir,” I answered quickly. 

“How long? What position?”

I felt my cheeks begin to heat up at the prolonged attention. Didn’t like it one bit, even though this meant the odds of me getting a place on the ship were vastly improved. “Pretty much an able bodied sailor,” at the eye roll from the boatswain and his sudden look of disinterest I hastily added, “and stand in navigator.”

That brought his attention back to me. “A navigator, really?” he spoke with interest.

I nodded my head.

“Haven’t had a willing one of those in a while,” he mused thoughtfully.

I knew it was unusual being a navigator and seeking to work on a pirate ship. Usually pirates forced navigators from ships they raided to sail with them. I should have easily been able to find work elsewhere, and I prayed he wouldn’t ask me more on the matter. 

“An’ how many year’s experience did you says ya have?” he asked again.

Mortified that I completely forgot to ask his earlier question, I felt my face flush anew at my careless omittance. 

“Four and twenty.”

He abruptly cut our conversation off by sticking out his hand for me to shake. I obliged. “Welcome aboard the _Intrepid_ ,” he said with a toothy grin. “May God save your soul.”

 

* * *

 

 

After our introduction to the rest of the crew I was shown to my quarters. Apparently as the sailing master, as they called their navigator, I got a small room to myself. It was situated near the stern of the ship near two other doors. One was for the cook, the other for the quartermaster.

I had the rest of the day to get reaccustomed to the sway of the ship before we left the area tomorrow. I looked around my space. Never before had I had a room to myself. There was an actual bed, not a hammock like I was used to, with a storage area under it and a little floor space in front of the bed. In the corner was a chamber pot that I could use if I didn’t feel like whipping it out and peeing over the side of the ship. It was more than I was accustomed to and I loved it immensely. 

I laid in my bed in wonder over the softness of the sheets. As I rested my mind began to wander thinking back to Sebastian. On that passionate night we shared. Just thinking about that one time was enough to send heat pooling to certain areas of my body.

I wonder if he even remembered me.

Probably not.

I sighed.

These next couple of weeks were going to be torture. I had a feeling my hand and I would become great acquaintances in the late hours of the night. Maybe I shouldn’t have taken this position.

There was a knock on the door, a quiet three raps. Whoever was there didn’t wait for me to allow them in, instead they just let themselves into my space. 

Glancing over to the door from my position on the bed I was met with a stormy gaze. “Sebastian,” I breathed out not able to keep all of the swirling emotions I was experiencing out of my voice.

His beautiful blond locks looked tousled from the wind. He opened those wonderful lips to speak.

“Hello William.”


	3. Chapter Two

He stood there staring at me for an undiscernible amount of time. Probably trying to see what changed and remained the same, just like I did when I first saw him again. Even so, it felt like this scrutiny was some kind of challenge, a game if you will, and it was one that I did not want to lose. So I studied his features with the same intensity that he studied mine.

His tousled hair had grown longer in the months apart but still managed to almost defy gravity as it perched on top of his head. It was a little lighter too, but that could have to do with the poor lighting we had our first time together. I’d like to think the lightness of his locks was from the sun kissing his body as he worked on the deck of this ship every day. Sebastian’s smooth skin also seemed to be darkened by the rays of that powerful star in the sky. And his eyes. I always loved his eyes the best. They were the storms that roughened the seas that brought even the strongest of men to their knees. They were strong but held no sign of cruelty and just a hint of mischief lurked in their gray depth. I remembered how they had smoldered in the throes of passion. I’d give anything to be taken to a time and place where we could relive that night in feeling alone.

The sound of a door slamming jarred me from my thoughts. I turned my gaze to the offending object expecting to see Sebastian somehow vanished from my room only to realize he was charging toward me. Before my mind had time to catch up, to comprehend what was happening, he was upon me straddling my waist and yanking me up into an aggressive kiss all in one fluid movement.

I leaned into the contact and eagerly kissed those lightly chapped lips for all they were worth. Our lips parted and I gasped for air as eagerly as I had hungered for him seconds before.

“Sebastian,” I all but moaned as he dove forward to catch my lips again.

I gasped at this aggressiveness and felt my member hardening from this man’s rough handling. From the smirk that I felt curling on Sebastian’s lips as we continued kissing, he felt my more primal reactions too. He slipped his tongue into my mouth creating an all new kind of glorious wet friction for my senses to focus on and I was nearly gone.

Seeing he affected me so made him even more daring as he rubbed our hardened members together. I moaned loudly in a way that put a practiced whore to shame. The feelings this man ignited in my body were like nothing I had felt with anyone else.

All too soon Sebastian wanted to progress this little rendezvous further. He snaked his hand down the front of my trousers and began to rub and pull at my member in a most delightful way. It left me gasping in barely contained pleasure and I fumbled to reciprocate for him with my own hand.

His kissing and sucking migrated down toward my neck and I let out an appreciative mewl arching myself up into his sturdy chest when he rediscovered that sensitive spot he found months ago.

“Still as sensitive as ever,” he whispered satin voice thick with desire.

I could do nothing but pant my need too overcome with feeling to speak. There was a pressure building deep inside of me and I knew all too soon this building feeling would burst out leaving me sated and happy. Sebastian could tell I was close and began to jerk my member even more erratically.

I followed his lead.

I could barely hold back my desire when Sebastian purred, “Don’t hold back,” into my ear before licking up the shell.

I released with a cry and fell limp upon my bed. After a few seconds of nigh incoherent bliss I realized that Sebastian had not experienced the same satisfaction I had. I needed to fix that.

But he swatted at my hands telling me not to worry to just relax and let him take care of everything. And he really sis take care of _everything_.

I watched in fascination as he brought himself to climax. Never before had I seen another pleasure themselves until orgasm. The face he made in the heat of passion was beautiful. I vowed the next time we did something like this that I would be what caused him to make that sultry expression.

I fought to keep my eyes open, tired and happy from the encounter we both shared. Still, there was a small feeling of discomfort forming near my groin. From the cooling and drying of my seed. I made to get up but Sebastian, once again, prevented me from lifting a finger.

“Look at the mess I’ve made of you,” he chuckled knowing how he affected me. “Guess I’ll just have to clean you up.”

Although the words seemed innocent enough, the way he uttered them had them laced with sexual promise. I didn’t know if I could stay awake through another round and I told him as much around a large yawn that did wonders to emphasize my point.

He merely chuckled looking down on me with that mischievous glint in his eyes. “As much as I’d love to ravish you until morning, something tells me you really do need sleep. I’ll just make sure you can sleep _comfortably_.”

He pulled off his soiled clothing taking care to wipe off any unpleasant residue which allowed me time to ogle his naked physique. Then he turned and gently removed me from the confining stick fabric I wore. Carefully Sebastian used my discarded shirt to wipe off any release that clung to my skin. Then he laid down on my bed facing me. He gazed warmly into my eyes and ran his fingers through my short hair.

“Sebastian,” I breathed out contently.

“William,” his voice as caring as his actions had been. “I’m not letting you leave me again.” He kissed my forehead and pulled me close enveloping me in his embrace.

We fell asleep in each other’s arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All I kept thinking while typing this was how freaking polite William is...


	4. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> William Meets Cookie

Sometime during my sleep I remember having the distinct thought that beds were a wonderful thing. I wouldn’t have been able to have a night like that with Sebastian if I had a hammock. The first part with all the kissing and petting could have happened in, less than conventional ways, but not the second part. Have you ever tried to snuggle with someone in one of those tiny crew hammocks?

I witnessed sailors attempting just that many times.

My advice to them: don’t.

It’s not comfortable.

I woke up the next morning alone in my bed. This didn’t surprise me. I knew Sebastian had to be busy as the quartermaster of this vessel. In fact, I should probably be busy too as the sailing master.

I scrambled to get dressed and then made my way to the wheel of the ship. My main duty was to steer and make sure we stayed on course to our destination. Which I still didn’t know. Problem? Maybe. Hopefully they’d tell me before entrusting the wheel to me.

The boatswain was manning my position behind the wheel when I arrived. I expected him to tell me where we were headed and throw a map in my face before making a hasty retreat. And I was _almost_ correct with my assumption.

He stepped back from the wheel allowing me to take over. “We’re heading north south,” he grunted out before going to leave.

“Wait,” I called out just before his foot hit the steps to head down to the main deck, “tell me the real direction.”

It wasn’t possible to go north south. We would essentially be going in circles. “Ahh, caught that, did you?” he gave me a genuine smile and gruffly parked, “You passed the test. Real way is north north west.” As far as tests went it was pretty lame. I didn’t know if I should feel insulted that he even thought there was a possibility of me not knowing that he wasn’t being serious with the first spoken directions. But, I guess there were all sorts that sailed with pirates, just look at me, and the needed to make sure people knew what they were dong somehow.

I was left alone to do my job. I wasn’t bothered at all by them not giving me a map or disclosing a location. As long as someone continued to tell me when we needed to change course, it was fine. I understood why they were leery to trust me. They knew my history, after all. Twelve years a law-abiding sailor did not a pirate make. They didn’t trust my sudden decent into piracy. Not one bit.

And I couldn’t blame them.

The day passed slowly. As I steered the ship I listened to the commotion of sailors below. The grunts of labor. The barks of orders. All too soon the lunch shift rolled around.

During this time the man power on deck was cut in half as the crew took turns getting their half hour for food. After all the crew was fed, sans me, I heard someone making their way toward me. My breath caught in my throat as I saw Sebastian standing there. His hair was blowing with the wind off the sea and he gleamed with a light sweat that was testament to the hard labor he’d been doing all morning.

I gave him a tentative smile, one that also asked what he was doing up here.

He made his way over behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist. My heart started beating faster both from the close contact and the fear of being spotted by a member of the crew, but I made no move to escape his embrace. Snuggling his head down into the crook of my neck he spoke, “You can go to lunch now,” Sebastian all but pouted.

“I seem to be _ahh_ ,” the devilish man licked my neck! “I seem to be unable to move _hss_ at the current mo- _ahh-_ ment.”

I felt the vibrations of his deep chuckle more than I heard it. “Really?” he asked innocently like he had absolutely no idea why I couldn’t move.

“Really,” I echoed a tad breathless.

He gently removed my hands from the wheel and turned me around pulling me into a tight embrace. We stayed like that in each other’s arms until he decided we really had to get back to our intended stations.

I mourned the loss of contact as we parted, but knew it was obviously necessary. “Go eat, I’ll be here when you get back,” Sebastian promised with a wink, no doubt seeing the slight frown on my face at the mere thought of leaving him.

I made my way to the little makeshift canteen where all of _Intrepid’s_ sailors ate. Immediately I was greeted by an angry little man. “’Bout time ya got here. I been waiting to scrub the pots. Get yer food an’ eat.”

He practically threw a bowl of sloshy looking stew in my direction. When I was nearly to one of the empty tables he lobbed a roll at my head to soak up extra broth. I drank the soup out of my bowl and went to give the emptied dish back to the cook. Also wanted to find out if there was anything to drink. He pointed me in the direction of a barrel. “Tha’ has cheap wine in it. ‘S’all we get.”

I scrunched up my face in disgust never being the biggest fan of wine.

The cook burst out laughing. ‘Better get used to it kid.”

Begrudgingly I made my way over to the wine and filled my cup. I drank it slowly, holding my breath in hopes of not tasting it. But nothing could stop me from experiencing the burning sensation as it went down my throat. Still I ended up making a face of displeasure over the aftertaste.

The cook was in stitches laughing so hard. “Hey man, I like ya. What’s yer name?”

“William.”

“The name’s Cookie.” A cook named Cookie, how utterly predictable.

He took my cup and went back to washing the alarming amount of dishes the crew accrewed. I headed for the door ready to get back to my navigational duties.

“Oh, an’ William?” Cookie called, tone darker than any I’d heard from him thus far.

I turned to show I was listening to whatever he wanted to tell me.

“Now, I don’t care who ya bugger with that oversized pecker of yours,” my face immediately heated up and I had to fight my natural reaction to shield my clothed privates from his view. Then dred started to pool in my stomach from the words he had spoken. He’d heard us last night. “But if the captain finds out about ya an’ him someone’s gonna pay. An’ you can bet yer life it ain’t gonna be his brother.”

I nodded my head understanding his sobering words.

“This crew has no problem in killin’ a new member, _especially_ a _Molly_.”


	5. Chapter Four

I tersely told Sebastian about our activities been heard by Cookie.  Neither of us wanted to give up what we had but we decided to be more discrete.  For the most part, we limited our activities to kissing and light touching.  And all of it was confined to my room.

Imagine my surprise when, after my meal one day, Cookie told me Captain Jack wanted to speak to me about something.  I feared the worst.  What if someone besides Cookie had heard Sebastian and me and told the captain?

There was no way I'd make it off of this boat alive if the captain found out.  If I was lucky, he's kill me by sword.  A nice quick death.  If not, I'd walk the plank.  I've never been particularly lucky.

The thing that confused me the most was I _knew_ this outcome was more than likely.  Still, I went willingly to Sebastian.  There was just something about him that drew me in.

Had always been so too.

That first time, feeling his great wrapped around me as we became one the way he tightened around me sending me over the edge, and all of those tender moments after being reunited here on the ship.

I was addicted.

I must have stood outside the captain's chambers for a good five minutes staring at the door with my hand poised to knock.  No matter how much I willed it, I couldn't make myself knock on the darn thing.  I was more afraid to find out why he had summoned me than I was of any repercussions that might exist for being late.

Naturally, that's how he found me, less than two minutes later, when he opened the door, no doubt to see what was taking me so long to arrive.

"Oh good, you're here," he exclaimed in a rather aloof manner before ushering me inside of his room.

It was grand.

There was a full sized bed, floor space _and_ a desk.  Finery, no doubt acquired from raids, littered the walls.

He say at his desk and motioned for me to take a seat on the edge of his bed.  I didn't object to the kind order but found myself uncomfortable with the seating arrangement.  I barely knew this fellow and beds were where intimate things happened.  I tried not to think about what he might have used such a large bed for.

He fixed me with the same pair of stormy eyes as his brother and I braced myself for whatever he wanted to say to me.  "How are you finding everything aboard _Intrepid_?” he asked me conversationally.

I was not expecting that and stammered out a, "Sir?" in question.

"I want to know that you're settling in okay.  You are, aren't you?" he asked with a hopefulness more befitting a child than a captain.

"Oh, yes sir, everything's been lovely," I answered an immediately wanted to slap a hand over my mouth.  " _Lovely_?” _really_?  This was a pirate ship not a pleasure cruise.

The captain arched his right eyebrow, a disbelieving look on his countenance, "If you say so," doubt clearly present in his spoken words.

I gave a very uneasy insincere half smile and thankfully that line of questioning was dropped.

"The reason I called you here today is because," oh God, here it was, "I'd like you to go to shore with a few other crew members to gather some needed supplies."

"Wha-" I began dumbly, I couldn't believe that's all he wanted of me, "sure, I'll go with them."  
"Great!" the man barked enthusiastically.  "You'll leave later today." He dismissed me with a wave of his hand.

I spent the rest of the time leading up until is heading to shore steering the ship to where we'd anchor it.  I also reflected quite a bit on my good fortune.  If the captain wanted me to go on this overnight excursion perhaps he was starting to trust me.

All too soon it was time for us to depart.  We had anchored the ship about 200 meters from shore where the water was still deep and then departed.  There were four of us.  The boatswain, I found out his name was Mark; Wesley, the carpenter/surgeon; Sebastian and myself.  We took two rowboats to the docks to ensure that there was enough space for us and our supplies on the way back.  Mark and I traveled in one, Sebastian and Wesley in the other.

After making it to the shore and securing the boasts we were told exactly what was going on.  Wesley was to get medical supplies that were running low.  Mark, he was in charge of obtaining everything else.  He got all the good and miscellaneous supplies and arranged them to be put into parcels for pick up tomorrow morning.

Apparently the only thing Sebastian and I had to do was help get the stuff back to the ship tomorrow morning.  We followed along as the others secured their supplies through sometimes less than legal means.  I was surprised to find us finished by around ten that night.

"Couldn't we grab the supplies now and head back to the ship yet tonight?" I asked the other three.

Mark looked at me as if I had grown another head, or two, "Are you kidding!  This is my chance to get a woman."

Oh, of course.  We'd be spending the rest of the night at the brothel then.  As soon as we were in the door of the establishment women flocked to us.  Mark, who is apparently rather adventurous in bed, led away a petite blonde and a curvy red head, one on each arm, for some kind of ménage à trois.

Wesley, whom I've come to know it's quite a soft spoken man, despite hi lumbering size, also eventually found a companion in a homely brunette with beautiful blue eyes.

Sebastian was lounging, taking in the happenings in a rather bored manner.  The whores content with putting on a show for the handsome man.

As for me, l kept turning down women right and left only to have the madam throw a finger looking girl in my direction.  Eventually, after I turned down yet another young lady, she got a knowing gleam in her dark brown eyes.  I watched in confusion as she strode off with a purpose and came back with a young man in tow. 

My face flushed at being found out by this woman I didn't even know.  Was my preference for men really so obvious? 

This boy was lovely too dressed in fine silks with a touch of makeup expertly done.  He was probably close to ten centimeters shorter than me and could have been easily snapped in half by a strong wind.  He had an appealing innocent look to him with those large chocolate eyes and widely most hair that framed his face nicely.

And I absolutely did not want him.

I glanced at Sebastian to see him watching me intently a curious frown pulling at his face.  Without taking my eyes off of him I refused the boy, "I'm sorry madam, I cannot accept his company."

She adopted an incredulous look.  "You don't want any of my girls, made Katherine cry," I winced at that focusing my gaze on the ranting woman, "and more you don't want Gabriel.  What _do_ you want?"

In a moment of weakness my eyes flickered back over to Sebastian.  And she saw it.

The madam followed my wanting gaze until she took in the sight of Sebastian.  "Oh, I see," she must have seen something in the way Sebastian was staring because the next words out of her mouth contained barely repressed glee, "You know if you want, you and him can use a room free of charge."

I couldn't believe what this overly prescriptive woman had just offered.  I stood there mouth adapter, staring at her in astonishment, "In the meantime," she decided, "Gabriel, make that man jealous."

She walked away and suddenly the offered boywhore was clinging to me.  I tried to extract myself from his embrace with little success.  He seemed to always be two steps ahead of me.  Eighth when I feared the boy was about to kiss me a firm hand landed on my shoulder.  I looked up into the firmly set face of Sebastian.

"Beat it," he glared at the boywhore.  Gabriel scampered away.

Sebastian's expression didn't soften as he looked at me.  Instead he dragged me roughly to the outside of the establishment until we were in the Ashley next to the building.

He pinned me roughly Sunday the building. I hissed as the bricks dug into my back.

"Were you trying to make me want to fuck you?" he whispered dangerously into my ear, "Because that's exactly what I'm going to do."

 

**Unknown POV**

Aw, it felt so good to get off after all those months of doing nothin’ but jerking my own rod aboard that blasted ship. One of the main reasons so manys of us volunteered to do supply runs. An’ lucky me, because of my position upon the boat, I always got to go.

I had just finished up round one at the brothel an’ decided to go fer a little walk around the village.

On my walk I begun to feel randy an’ ready fer round two. Sos I headed back to the brothel. Whiles I was passing by the alley right next to the fine whorehouse I heard some intense moans of pleasure. Now, I couldn’t exactly miss me a chance to interrupt the public fornication between an unsuspecting couple so I crept down the alley a ways with the idea to watch fer a bit. Then I’d let them knows I’d been there, probably after beatin’ one off.

But then I sees… I sees…

I sees a man balls deep into another guy’s butt. An’ he was definitely cumming. Spillin’ his seed into that willin’ asshole as he buried his head into the receiver’s neck. The other man’s head was thrown back in pure bliss as he took all this guy had to offer. An’ then I realize somethin’. That guy with his shitter stuffed full of man meat was William. Our _lovely_ new sailing master.

How had I never noticed the man had limp wrists? I slowly backed out of the alley, erecting gone.

Couldn’t believe the guy was a Molly. A fuckin’ _Molly_ on the _Intrepid_.

This wouldn’t do at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the crudeness of the last POV. Also, yea! This is the first chapter with a word count closer to 2000 than 1000. I didn't think that would happen with this story.


	6. Chapter Five

I had yet another surprise thrown at me the next day when we got up and didn’t immediately go back to the ship. We ended up staying in town until late into the afternoon. Then we made our way back to our rowboats and headed to where _Intrepid_ was anchored.

There was a switch-up of who was riding with who on the way back that confused me more than it concerned me. Sebastian and I road in one boat and Mark and Wesley in the other. The bulk of the medical supplies went with Wesley and everything else was precariously packed into Sebastian’s and mine. The most unsettling part of this switch was the nasty looks that the other boat kept shooting our way. I didn’t know what qualm they had with us. As far as I knew, we did our job properly. Hadn’t we?

But the sudden hostility was thick in the air and I didn’t understand it in the slightest. It made me more uncomfortable with every stroke of an oar.

By the time we got back to the ship and put the supplies in their proper places it was time to us to catch some shut-eye before waking up early to head toward our next location. I didn’t know what was in store for us next and it both unnerved me and excite me. I was not used to such spontaneity from my previous employer.

We retired to our sleeping quarters for the evening and I slept straight through until morning.

The slamming of my cabin door woke me up. Since my arrival on the ship nobody had ever come to wake me and I was momentarily confused by the change in routine. Further alarm came from the shuffling about of the mystery person. It almost sounded like they were… undressing?

I turned over in my bed to come head to head with a penis. Not exactly how I was planning to start my morning.

And the person wielding the penis like some king of pathetic sword: Mark.

I just looked at him, confusion evident in my eyes, etched on my continence. I had no idea what had prompted this.

“Saw you the other night, _Molly_ ,” he practically seethed.

As I was still trying to figure out what he was talking about he let loose with a vial stream of piss, hitting me in the chest with the nasty flow before I could fumble out of the way.

After I had scrambled out of the flow, he continued to piss on my bed until he was empty. My room reeked. My shirt and my bed were soaked. I sat on the floor near my bed watching with a wounded expression as this man, satisfied, put his dick back in his pants.

He took a step toward me, threateningly and I was momentarily afraid that he’d do something else to me while he was here. He had me in a vulnerable position, curled up on the floor like a kicked dog, soaked in his piss. It would have been easy for him to hurt me further using fists to drag me down lower with this carefully planned degradation.

Instead of the beating I expected the boatswain showered me with words. Words that I knew were going to make my life here harder. Words to humiliate. Words of hate.

Bending down so he was level with my cowering form, Mark wrinkled his face at me in absolute disdain, sneer on his face, “If you wanna be a bitch so bad, you know where to find me,” with the low dangerous threat made he stood, kicking me in the shin and left my room.

I laid on the floor for a while, too upset to move. My shin throbbed in pain and I couldn’t stop my mind from making up possible scenarios of things Mark was going to do with this information he had about me. It seemed I wasn’t men to keep my love for Sebastian a secret. First Cookie, now Mark. They both knew I was a lover of men.

But… I knew Cookie knew _exactly_ who I went to at night. Mark, I don’t think he knows. He was only targeting me. He didn’t mention anything about seeing Sebastian with me. He didn’t know who I spent my nights with only that they were not female.

He must have caught a glimpse of us in that alley.

I took in a ragged breath and fumbled to my feet. The cooling wet fabric of my shirt clung to my skin and I ripped it off quickly trying to get the stained fabric away from me. I also took off my trousers and used them to wipe the soak-through off of my chest. Changing into clean and dry clothes, I then left the stench that was my room behind.

Besides my less than ideal wakeup call, the day passed as normal. I spent my day at the helm of the ship only interrupted by Sebastian to cover my lunch. The day was so normal, so routine that I nearly forgot about what I would have to go back to tonight.

It was well after dark when I was finally relieved from my position to get some sleep.

I entered my room and gagged. If possible, the smell had gotten worse. I walked over to my bed and everything was soaked through more so than this morning. My pillow was saturated with their disgusting liquids. It seemed like Mark had told a few of his friends what he had learned about me and they decided to use my bed as a chamber pot all day.

There was absolutely no way I could sleep on that.

And, my stomach did a queasy sort of flip-flop, there was nowhere else I could spend the night. No one I could tell of this. Telling the captain was out of the question. It would end far worse for me than anyone else. Cookie… well, he hadn’t the room. I didn’t even know which of the crew Mark had told. Even Sebastian was off limits. I’d just be a burden to him going to his room because of this. It would put him at risk of the same treatment. Why would he help someone like me unless he was like me himself?

I sunk down against the wall as far away from my bed as I could get and laid my head into my arms, legs curled up into my chest, determined to get the best night’s sleep I could with these less than desirable circumstances. I’d have to endure this.

I’d make it through.

As long as Sebastian was fine, I could manage.


	7. Chapter Six

**Sebastian’s POV**

Oh how glad I was to have my William back at my side.  I recognized the straight laced sailor immediately upon seeing him upon _Intrepid_.  To say I was shocked to see my little sailor was an understatement and the thought of recreating our night on land together all those weeks ago had my chest fluttering with mirth.

That one experience with him ranked up with my finest of memories. His gentle, almost unsure touches that tickled my flesh like the most delicate of butterfly kisses.  The tender brush off his lips against mine.  Everything about him was gentle.  The way his cock worked up a slow almost lazy peace inside of me only added to this genuine gentleness he possessed.  One night and I was hooked... but alas, duty called and I had to return to the ship.  That should have been the end of it, but then my gentle lover decided to enter into the lions' den that it's the _Intrepid_ as the sailing master.

It took everything in me not to ravish him on the spot.  After all, he had the chance to feel what it was like to take me completely and I very much wanted to return that favor.  I was nothing if not a courteous and versatile lover, I wanted to enjoy my partner in all ways.

After our most recent fuck in the alley outside of that seedy brothel I began to notice a change in William.  A change that worried me greatly.  Over the course of a fortnight I watched him go from his laid back content self to someone who looked more and more like the walking dead.  His appearance became increasingly disheveled, hair and clothing a mess, and large bags forming under those beautiful blue eyes.  The most frightening thing I learned was that he wasn't eating.  I asked Cookie about it, voicing my concerns about William's unsettling behavior.  He told me he was worried as well because more often than not the man would suit at one of those lunch tables on his break and just stare ahead, dazed, never touching his food.

I had been watching William's position closet the last few days worried about how his job would be affected by his worsening condition.  That's why I want too surprised when, during the highest heat of the day, there was a sudden jerk in the usually smooth sailing ship and I looked up to see William had fainted.  Worry lurched at my insides and I cried out in alarm before swiftly making my way over to him.

Seeing no other option I swiftly got my brother to steer the ship and took William to see Wesley.

Wesley did most of his doctor work on the mess tables in the canteen, they worked well for amputations, so that’s where I took William. I managed to rouse him and he was sitting unsteadily at the table while Wesley looked for whatever had caused him to faint.

“As far as I can tell, it’s just plain exhaustion,” he looked over at William accusingly, masking the undertone of his worry well. “Have you not been sleeping well?”

A little color drained from William’s already paler than usual complexion. “No,” he barely whispered out.

“Why not?” Wesley asked fishing for more information.

William’s lips couldn’t have gotten sealed tighter if I’d sewn them shut. Whatever the reason for his sleeplessness, he didn’t want Wesley or me knowing.

Seeing he’d no sooner get something out of William than he would a goat, Wesley said instead, “Fine but you’re on bed rest until I deem you fit to navigate the ship.”

At the prescribed treatment William blanched. I found his reaction particularly strange for someone so desperately in need of sleep.

The carpenter then turned to me, “I trust you’ll make sure he gets to his room.”

I nodded and ushered a protesting William towards his sleeping area.

I opened the door to his room and immediately slammed it shut after getting a whiff of the most pungent odor ever.

“Fuck,” I spat out, “what the hell was that smell?’

William remained unusually quiet.

“Was that _piss_?”

He took a shuddering breath in and looked at me with such undisguised misery that I felt my heart aching.

“Mark saw me in the alley.”

“And he’s been pissing in your room?” I boomed out in rage.

He flinched at my loud exclamation and I immediately felt bad.

“On my bed,” William clarified.

“Where have you been sleeping?” I asked even though I already knew the answer.

"The floor," he whispered.

I ushered him away from the room.

"Where are we going?" he asked worry seeping into his voice.

"You're sleeping in my room for now," I answered sternly leaving no room for contradiction.

Still William tried to get me to change my mind.  He tried to get me to let him be saying Mark would find out of my involvement and make my life hell too.

"I don't care about that sick fuck.  I care about you feeling better," I pushed him down onto my bed and tucked him in like a babe.  His head no sooner hit the pillow than he was out like a lamp.  I understood that William wanted to protect me from the he'll he was going through but it killed me to see him being tormented in any way. I kissed his forehead and left my room already planning on stringing Mark a nice new hammock made from piss stained sheets.


	8. Chapter Seven

**William's POV**

There was a raid.

I had missed a raid.

All because of my exhaustion.  I slept through the whole thing.  It would have been my first chance to really do something pirate like and I slept through it.

In my room.

I don't know how he did it but Sebastian head gotten everyone to stop pushing in my bed and I was able to sleep in my own area again.  Now, one day before Wesley had said I could go back to my duties, a wealthy ocean liner of sorts had the misfortune of crossing _Intrepid's_ path.  The captain's orders had been to take anything the crew could carry aboard the pirate ship.

I imagine everyone was rolling in their spoils as of now.  Curiosity got the best of me and I wanted over to Sebastian's room to see what he had collected.  I knocked on his door and opened it when he bellowed for me to come in. The door was harder to open than usual and I soon learned that was because of all the "treasure" Sebastian had acquired during the raid.  He was standing on his bed smelling in absolute triumph with all this finery around him.

"Anything you could carry, huh?"  I was doubtful of his ability to get all of this on the ship himself.

Shrugging Sebastian beamed at me, "What can I say, gifts from a doting brother."

I rolled my eyes, then caught a glimpse of his attire, "What are you wearing?"

He seemed to fashion himself a gentleman.  And the clothing did nothing but good things to his appearance.  Who knew this man would look so tempting in a gentleman's attire?

Sebastian grabbed something from one of his loot piles and the billowy garment toward me.  I caught the light airy piece of clothing and examined it closely.  It was silk and lace and looked like it was supposed to have a hoop or a bustle under it.  The top was a corset and very ornate.  "It's a dress," I stayed the obvious not really understanding exactly why he threw it at me.  
"I know, I got it for you," Sebastian smirked as my face heated up.

Somehow he convinced me to try the blasted thing on and I found myself standing in front of him wearing the uncomfortable ensemble.

"Okay," I whispered scarcely able to breathe in the corset, "I've tried on the dress, now what?"

He had to have an agenda.  Some reason he wanted to get me into this outfit.

"Now," he looked sight of me in the dress and I blushed at his lecherous expression.  "Now it's time for my blushing bride to fuck me with that sweet dick I remember so well."

My mouth immediately went dry upon hearing those promising words.  I was tracing just thinking about making love to Sebastian like this, even as I was afraid of being heard.

As if sensing my worry Sebastian assured me that everyone would be too busy enjoying their loot to hear us making love.

I let him lead me over to the bed and guide me to a position between his legs my dress splayed out around us.  He directed me through the whole process.  Told me when to take off his trousers, how to scissor my fingers inside of him to prepare him and finally when to insert myself into his hole.

As I worked up a gentle but steady pace I had the realization that this was the first time since our first night together that I was on the giving end.  I wanted to please my liver and strove to make this an unforgettable experience for him.  As I was beating my release so was he and I reached my hand out to stroke him giving him more delicious friction where he needed it most.

After we both spilled our seed and cleaned ourselves off we leaked in bed enjoying each other’s company.

Sebastian looked at me and carded a hand through my hair a playful sparkle in his bewitching eyes.  "Wow, if I would have known you wearing a dress would get you to fuck like that..." he trailed off with a sated chuckle.

We laid there the rest of the night feeling sleep to one another's gentle breathing.

In the morning I found a note from Sebastian saying I should keep the dress in my room so we could use it for future escapades between the sheets.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: So... shortest chapter ever (I think). I'm not really sure why I split it from the previous one. Just an FYI, I'm not going to write who's POV it is every time it's in William's unless otherwise marked. :) 
> 
> Hope you're enjoying the story so far.


	9. Chapter Eight

Midday, the captain put a stop to the normal goings on deck and decided we'd celebrate with some light hearted excessive drinking down in the canteen. Up until the time the festivities would start crew members were urged to sleep.

Sebastian and I had other ideas. We spent hours in each other's company and spent most of the day allowing ourselves to explore the other with lazy caressing, gentle whispering, and promises of further exploration. It was beautiful and melancholy all at once because I longed for more moments like this but knew we couldn't get used to indulging ourselves in this way.

I was glad for this celebration the ship was having. Thanks to the successful raid Sebastian and I got to spend time together. I hoped for many more successful raids if it meant more moments like this in Sebastian's arms.

His hand made a lazy trail up and down my spine while the other played with my hair. Taking a long drawn out inhale Sebastian kissed my forehead and sighed, "We should probably make an appearance at the celebration."

I'd much rather stay in the room with him and I told him as much even though I knew he was right. It would look strange if we didn't show up. We slowly untangled ourselves from each other and got dressed. Once presentable, we made our way to the canteen.

Chaos awaited us. People were dancing merrily to a jig someone was playing on an accordion and merriment was all around. The jovial atmosphere aided by the amounts of drink.

Cookie sauntered over to is and handed is each a pint.

"Time to get smashed," Sebastian said to me with a grin.

Wesley also made his way over and handed is both another pint.

"Why'd you give us another one?" I asked. I had barely taken a sip from the first glass and already I had a second in hand. It didn't make sense to me.

"Look around you," he waved his hand in an unsteady erratic manner, "everyone's already drunk. You need to make up for lost time."

I laughed and agreed quickly downing first one pint then the other.

An hour later I sat at one of the many eating tables accompanied by the more reserved Wesley. "Look at them out there," he nodded toward the dancing crew. And look I did. The crew was over the moon with alcohol and emotions floated high but one pirate held my attention more than any other. Sebastian was out there, ale in hand dancing without a care in the world. Somehow his shirt had disappeared and his body glistened with a fine sheen of sweat. "They're gonna hate themselves in the morning," he continued.

I nodded my head. I agreed completely with the doctor's prognosis and could feel myself on the way to morning self-loathing. My face was red with the drink and my extremities warmed and tingling.

Sebastian made his way over to us laughing merrily. "Come on William, dance, live a little."

I shook my head. I didn't know how to do this particular jig and didn't feel like making myself a fool by trying to learn it drunk. I had two left feet on my best days. But Sebastian was persistent. He began tugging at my shirt telling me I had to dance.

"I don't know how," I insisted.

He hosted me out of my seat and into his arms. "I'll teach you, my love," he whispered into my ear.

I shuddered and gave in easily letting him lead me to the dance floor. There were some scathing remarks from some of the crew but most were too far gone at this point to notice two of their own dancing together in an excessively friendly manner.

Sebastian was patient with me and didn't mind when I stepped on his toes. We laughed and danced for what seemed like only minutes, but was really a lot longer.

I found the whole experience freeing. This was what it felt like to live openly to not have to hide your affections for the person you loved behind closed doors. It was a remarkable feeling that I wanted to hold on to forever because all too soon it would have to end.

The sense of peace and freedom that overtook me was the last I would have for a long time because shortly after Sebastian and I danced together my life was thrown into a Hell where not even he could save me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a friendly heads up that this story will begin to get more and more brutal. If you haven't listened to the song "Gay Pirates" by Cosmo Jarvis, I strongly recommend you do. This story is based heavily off of that song. If you want some warnings on what's to come, that's where you'll find them.


	10. Chapter Nine

Surprisingly, I woke up early the morning after _Intrepid’s_ ravenous celebration. My head hurt, I was dehydrated and hungry but so very content after the time spent with Sebastian. For the first time since being on the pirate ship I headed to the canteen for breakfast with a bounce in my step. On my way there I passed several members of the crew and nodded in greeting to all of them. But they didn’t greet me back. No, they scowled at me, if I was lucky, spat at my feet or even tripped me if they were feeling more brazen.

It took me until about the end of breakfast to realize that last night someone must not have been as drunk was we thought and they remembered Sebastian and me dancing together. And, of course they made the _unacceptable_ behavior known to the rest of the crew. There was a Molly in their midst and they wouldn’t stand for that. Or, at least, they wouldn’t stand for that without making my life a living Hell, so I didn’t get any funny ideas. It’s funny how a bunch of thieves and misfits didn’t accept all misfits.   It’s almost as if they thought that I’d sleep with them just because I like men.

That notion disgusted me.

This strange hostile behavior continued all day.

It was the hottest point of the afternoon when Captain Jack came to me at the wheel.

I immediately thought the worst. All day people had been behaving horribly to me because they knew that I liked men. What if the captain knew? Would I be thrown off of the _Intrepid_ too?

“I need an extra hand with one of the riggings. Someone tied shoddy knots. Can you fix it?” his hard gaze focused on me.

I felt the knots in my stomach immediately start to unwind at his words. He didn’t know.

And I was good at tying knots. Asking if I could tie them was like asking if I breathed air. “I’ m a sailor,” I stated with my best charming smile, “I was tying knots before I could walk.”

“Yeah well, they’re all _sailors_ too and someone still tied the damn knots wrong.”

“Good point.”

He took the wheel from me and explained where the faulty knotting was. “Might want to check the rest of the knots on your way up there.”

I agreed with a quick nod of my head and went to fix the offending ropes. They just so happened to be the main way to get up to the crow’s nest.

I found it easier to climb barefoot so, pulling off my boots, I ascended the rigging fixing the bad knots along the way. I couldn’t figure out how the knots could have possible come undone. Overtime, they would have naturally tightened while holding the weight of those who climbed on them. The only way they could have come undone was if someone tied them completely wrong or they cut the rope too short after completing the knot.

It took me the better part of two hours to fix all of the knots and make my way to the deck again. Once there I slipped on one of my boots and gasped in pain. There was glass in it, slicing into the tender sole of my foot. I jumped to my other foot reaching to pull to boot off.

Someone came up behind me and I felt the lick of a blade against my back. What the heck was going on?

“Somethin’ the matter?” A low voice I recognized as Mark asked as he pushed the blade a little harder against my back for emphasis.

This was a trick question. Clearly there was only one correct answer and I said it through gritted teeth, “No.”

“Didn’t think so. Better put yer other shoe on. You wear those the rest of the day or your little _boyfriend_ gets what’s commin’ to him. We’ll make him pay fer what you done.”

Seeing no choice and not wanting to cause a scene I gingerly slipped my other boot on. It took all of my willpower not to shout out as a particularly large chunk of glass sliced straight up into my heel.

The rest of the day was pure torture. If I was lucky every step I took would only push the already embedded glass further into my flesh but I have never been lucky. More often than not the glass would pull out of my foot and enter at a new spot with each step.

My saving grace was the fact that I’m the sailing master so after lunch in the canteen I just had to stand by the wheel and navigate the ship.

By the end of the day I was spent. Sweat was drenching my shirt from the effort of completing my duties under such extreme conditions and I could feel large amounts of blood pooling in my boots. Every few minutes I’d feel eyes upon me from below and, sure enough, one of the crew would be looking up at me a knowing grin on their face.

A few agonizing minutes later the captain told the day crew it was time to turn in for the night. He came and took the wheel from me and told me to get some sleep.

I was staring at the steps to get down to the main deck with trepidation. Going down steps would hurt. A lot.

“William,” the captain called a concerned lilt to his voice, “are you okay?”

I nodded my head, a sharp jagged unnatural movement that did nothing to ease the concerned look on his face.

“If you’re not feeling well, I can call Wesley,” he pressed.

A trill of fear coursed through me at having another member of the crew near me. Surly they all hated me and wished to harm me. I was actually surprised the news still hadn’t reached the captain.

“I’m fine, sir,” I assured in an unconvincing rasp, “nothing a good night’s sleep won’t cure.”

“If you say so,” the captain acquiesced.

I hobbled to my room taking slow shuffling steps. Each step closer to my sanctuary was agony. I felt my strength beginning to fail and I was shaking with the effort to move forward. I needed to make it to my room. I’d be safe there. Ever since they stopped pissing on my bed, my room’s been free of uninvited guests.

Finally making it, I flung open the door and collapsed on the floor, as the door closed behind me.

 

**Sebastian’s POV**

I was in my room lying in bed. Feeling lazy I undid my trousers intent on masturbating to thoughts of my sweet William.

Then I heard a thud coming from his room.

Remembering the recent bout of bed pissers that made my love’s life Hell, I made my way to William’s room with the intention of catching them in the act. What I didn’t expect to see was William sprawled on the floor barely inside his room and barely conscious. He was blinking, but not moving and I wasn’t sure he even knew I was in the room with him. He looked so disoriented.

I took in his prone form noticing some unsettling details. He was drenched in sweat, an excessive amount, even with how hot the day had been. Hell, it even looked like his boots were slick with sweat. There was a pallor about him more befitting a corpse than a breathing man.

Gently lifting him up, I carried him over to his bed and gingerly sat him atop his covers. First order of business was getting him into some dry clothing. I took off his drenched shirt first without so much as a murmur of protest from him. My guess was he was slipping in and out of consciousness. Next I went to his boots. I slipped one off slowly and let out a shout of alarm when I set eyes on the mangled bottom of his foot. With more urgency I slipped off his other boot to see a similarly destroyed sole. There were torn bits of flesh dangling and shards of glass jolting out of deep lacerations. Others blead freely at an alarmingly fast rate. I realized with sickening dread that the sweat on the boots had actually been blood staring to soak through the leather.

“ _Shit_ ,” I hissed.

I needed Wesley and I fucking needed him now. Shooting out of William’s room with a promise to return quickly I went to locate Wesley.

I found him in the canteen having a chat with Cookie. “I need you,” I gasped out urgently fixing my gaze upon the carpenter made surgeon.

“What’s the matter?” Wesley asked already jumping to his feet to get his medical tool box.

“William,” is all I managed to choke out, but for Wesley that seemed to be enough. He followed me to William’s room where I made him pause before entering.

I needed to tell him something before letting him enter.

“Wesley,” I began, “please don’t tell anyone else what happens in here tonight.”

“Why would I?” he asked me suspiciously.

“Some of the crew don’t like mine and William’s relationship,” I explained delicately, skirting around the real issue.

“Listen,” the usually soft spoken man growled, “I don’t care if you’re fucking. Right now I have a patient to treat.” He pushed me aside and entered the room first. “Holy mother of God,” he gasped upon seeing William’s feet. “Who’d have done such a thing?”

I shrugged my shoulders. I wanted to know the same thing. Mostly so I could kill them in the most inhumane way possible.

Wesley got straight to work, pulling out a pair of forceps to start extracting pieces of glass. As he began the delicate process I held William’s hand. He had awoken with the first tug from the surgical equipment and kept crying out or hissing whenever a particularly gruesome piece was removed.

After the glass was all out Wesley washed the blood off of William and bandaged his feet. “I’ll make sure you don’t have to work until you’re healed,” Wesley promised.

William jerked up violently at his words, “ _Please_ , no.”

“Why the hell not?” Both Wesley and I asked.

“They’ll know I told someone. If they see I get special treatment or know that they got to me in any way, all of their tormenting will only get worse,” William explained softly.

He was right too. That sounded exactly like something the more malicious members of the crew would do.

We reluctantly agreed to act as if nothing happened and allowed William to work the next day under the condition that he would not push himself too hard.

I walked Wesley out of the room with a promise to William that I would come back and spend the night.

“You love him,” the surgeon accused.

“Aye,” I readily agreed.

“There’s no place for love on a pirate ship.”

Maybe he was right… but we’d try our hardest because that’s what you do when you love someone.

I had one more stop to make before going back to my William. I made my way to the helm of the ship where my brother was steering for the night.

“What brings you up here?” he asked with a slight smile.

“I want to go _home_.”

“It has been a while, hasn’t it?” he mused already changing the course of _Intrepid_.

We shared a nostalgic grin before I headed back to William with a lighter heart. We were heading home.


	11. Chpter Ten

A week later, I was able to walk relatively pain free. Most of the small lacerations were completely healed and the larger ones were on their way there. Wesley bandaged my feet with clean supplies every morning. Thanks to his diligence, no infection set in, but that didn’t stop my feet from itching. Sometimes I wanted to shove a fork or rake down my boot and go to town just to stop the uncomfortable feelings that come with cuts healing.

Upon exiting my room this morning I found _Intrepid_ at a port. We were honest to goodness at a port and no one in town was screaming for the local law enforcement. In fact, I saw quite a few members of the crew down on the dock hugging women and even children.

Sebastian walked up beside me an easy smile gracing his countenance.

“Where are we?” I asked in wonder as I watched the worlds of land and sea collide. A rigger named Vincenzo was twirling a little girl around in a circle as they both laughed. He had a daughter. I never thought of the prospect of any of the crew having a family.

“We’re home.”

“Home?” once again, the notion of pirates having a home, well to me it didn’t really go with the whole profession.

“Well,” here he shrugged, “as close to home as a pirate can get.” We made our way down to the dock. “A lot of us have ties to this town.”

Once everyone was off the boat, Captain Jack cleared his throat. “You have three days,” he stated simply.

There was a round of cheers before the crew dispersed to spend their three days in the tiny port town.

I watched the all leave with purpose and felt immediately left out. They all had ties to this island, somewhere to go for these three days.

I had nowhere.

No one.

Somebody cleared their throat. Turning I saw Sebastian still on the dock.

“I want to show you something, William.”

He led me through the town pointing out the bar, brothel and jail. Probably the most popular building for the crew. We walked straight through the town until the road stopped and met with sand. Then Sebastian took a left into a thicket of trees and we walked for about ten minutes until we came upon a small clearing. There were fruit trees and pineapple bushes in neat rows. Nestled amongst the rows of trees was a small cottage. And the clearing opened up on one side to the ocean. It was absolutely breathtaking.

“Sebastian, what is this place?” I asked in awe, never seeing such beauty on land before.

“This is my home,” he answered proudly.

“You own this?”

“Yeah, and someday I’m gonna live here.”

Sebastian led me to the front door and opened it allowing me to enter the small enchanting cottage first. There were dust and cobwebs everywhere showing that nobody had been here in quite a while. But there were all manner of simple luxuries that showed someone was planning on living here.

Sometime in the future Sebastian was going to live here. He wasn’t going to be a pirate forever, I realized with mixed emotions.

“Why here?” I asked genuinely curious.

“I want to be a farmer, always have, but life doesn’t always go the way you want it to,” Sebastian began. “Soon I’m going to live here, William. I have enough loot to live comfortably. It will be fantastic!” he went on excitedly, “Just me and my cabin, living the simple life.”

His words stabbed through me like a knife. He was going to live here. Just _him_ and _his_ cabin. Living the simple life. The simple life definitely didn’t involve having a male lover.

There was no room for me in the future he so badly desired. That notion left me feeling strangely hollow. My negative thoughts must have shown on my face.

“Something wrong?” Sebastian asked, his good mood slipping at seeing my distress.

“Nothing,” my voice was as clipped and hollow as I had ever heard it. “I’m going to head into town for a while.”

“Great! I’ll come with you.”

“No,” I snapped.

My harsh reply caused Sebastian to recoil slightly. He wasn’t used to such bitterness tinting my words.

“Okay,” he tried again, “I’ll come and meet you later tonight.”

I opened the door to _his_ cabin, “Don’t bother. Enjoy the time in your cabin,” I spat with bitterness.

Closing the door on Sebastian I made my way back to town and away from a life with no place for me in it.


	12. Chapter Eleven

**Chapter Eleven**

Once in town I secured a place at the inn, which was conveniently located on the upper floor of the bar. I say convenient because tonight, tonight, I was planning on drinking my sorrows away. Nothing soothed a broken heart faster than getting smashed out of your mind, or so I’ve been told.

There I sat at the bar with some other members of the crew. Some openly chatted with me. Most spat obscenities. I was finishing my third drink and feeling pleasantly warm. My head was swirling inside, a much wanted distraction from my problems.

I would get over them, _him_ , eventually.

Time healed all wounds, or at least made them more bearable.

After my fourth drink I decided it was time to take a walk around town. I was not yet ready to head to bed and I was sure the cool night air would feel wonderful against my overly hot skin.

And I was right, the rush of relief I felt upon walking out and feeling the cool caress of wing was instantaneous and welcomed. I passed by a lot of the buildings _he_ pointed out to me earlier. When passing the brothel I heard moans coming out of the alley. That seemed weird to me. Usually, in my experience, you were more likely to hear moans coming from within the brothel. Like the crowd who gathered at a hanging, I could not tear my eyes away from what I saw in that alley.

In it, I recognized our master gunner Gustav, his green eyes glowing like beacons in the night. He was doing _something_ with a woman. No sooner had I identified what they were doing than I made to move on, not wanting to alert the couple that they had been spotted in such a compromising position.

As luck would have it, he spotted me, “Hey Molly,” he greeted, “vant to come take her place? It no matter who’s suckin’ or I’m fuckin’ as long as there’s a tight hole around my dick.”

Well, I’m definitely not dignifying _that_ with a response. I renewed my pace deciding that now was the perfect time to head back to my room at the inn.

There was a harsh slapping sound and a feminine cry. Before I could even turn around to see what had happened to the poor girl that had been with Gustav, a rough hand grabbed my arm and yanked me backwards.

“Ye think you’re better than me _Molly_?” Gustav growled.

Faking bravado I really wasn’t feeling, Gustav was huge, I bit back, “Actually, yes, I do. I would never have stooped so low as to hit a woman.”

“Brave words coming from someone who’s no better than a woman,” Gustav seethed dragging me toward the doors of the brothel.

I tripped after him, really having no choice but to follow as he yanked me through the doors. Barging into the main room he shouted, “Who vants to help me vith this vone?” He was kind enough to emphasize “this” by shaking me like a child’s dolly.

There was a round of low guffaws and I saw a number of _Intrepid’s_ crew jumping to their feet eager, not to help me but, to help Gustav with whatever sinister plan he had thought up.

Worse still, I recognized all the men by name. Simon, a rigger with long black hair. Avery, a fiery red head with the personality to match. He was an able bodied sailor. Vincenzo and Mark were also there. This wasn’t going to be pleasant. If I didn’t get away they were going to beat me to a pulp.

They all helped Gustav wrestle me into the alley while I struggled futilely the whole way.

Gustav pushed me against the wall. My head hit the hard surface with a disorientating thud. Then the beating started. There seemed to be fists and boots everywhere at once with no slowing of pace. They were laughing with each new blow, shouting new creative obscenities with each agonizing hit.

A kick straight to the groin made me fall to my knees.

“Not like he needs them anyway,” one of my attackers growled, probably referencing my abused man parts.

“Hold him down,” Gustav ordered. Why was holding me down even necessary at this point? I wasn’t going anywhere. I was just waiting for the assault to end.

There were hands on either side of me gripping my shoulders roughly. They forced me onto my hands and knees, in a crawling position, then held me tightly.

My trousers were lowered.

_God no… not that._

I thrashed around until somebody smacked me in the face hard. The slap had my already spinning head trying to figure out which way was up. I couldn’t understand what was going on around me. But I needed to get away.

There was someone behind me.

With no warning, he was inside me.

I cried out in anguish. The intrusion hurt, physically, but it was so much more than just the physical pain. They were taking something from me. These men, no they weren’t _men_ were taking something I hadn’t given them. They were taking something that I had only ever given to one person. A person I loved. He started to move in and out, and I screamed with every movement. This was not something done in love. How could a person do this to someone else?

“Somebody shut him up,” the man pounding me hissed.

Then there was someone in front shoving into my mouth. With a threat of, “Bite me an’ yer _dead_.”

It was Mark.

And, threat be damned, I seriously considered doing it for a couple of seconds. What did I actually have to live for?

They were taking everything away from me. And Sebastian, well he didn’t want me in his future.

Maybe _this_ was my future. Forever the _bitch_ for a gang of judgmental pircks.

I cried as they continued to use me from both sides. They were taking turns, switching each time one was spent, occasionally stopping to beat me in between spitting me like a pig. If I so much as breathed the wrong way they beat me.

I stopped struggling. If I let them do what they wanted maybe they’d tire of me faster and leave me be.

When they were through, what seemed like hours later, they let me fall to the ground in that dirty alley and tied up their trousers, going back to their homes for the night.

I could feel blood and semen leaking out of me and down my legs. Too weak to move, to even pull my trousers up, I laid in that alley waiting for the pain to end.


	13. Chapter Twelve

**Unknown POV**

It's certainly a busy weekend thanks to those nice men who came on that little pirate boat of theirs. They really did a good job of making my nights as a barmaid go faster. Loud, boisterous and lecherous men were chatting it up in the bar before heading down the road to the town's brothel to test their luck with some ladies of the night.

It was getting down to my last hour or so at work when a particularly loud group of the pirates came into the par laughing and joking with each other. They sat down at one of our empty table and my boss motioned for me to go serve them. Probably figured they'd throw more tip money at a young well-endowed female than a balding middle-aged man with an ever-expanding waistline. And did they ever tip well. A pretty li'l thing like me made them hang around longer and be a little looser with their money pouches.

I walked over to the table. "What can I get you fine gentlemen tonight?" I greeted already putting on the charm.

An aggressive looking man with longer black hair growled out, "We's want a round for the lot of us."

"And maybe later," a redhead added in what was probably supposed to be an enticing tone, "whatever you can offer the lot of us."

Pretty sure that was some kind of sex invite. Excuse me while I throw up in my mouth. Damn this customer service business thing was hard. I so wanted to slug this guy in the face, but I so wanted his money. _Think of the money_. I eyed their gold pouches. Putting on my most welcoming grin I neither agreed or disagreed with his statement and went to get them their drinks.

I must admit I did put a little more sway in my hips hoping to get a better payoff at the end of the night. I poured their drinks from the barrel and handed them to the bunch. If I got grabbed a little bit in the process I ignored it. And by ignored it I mean I might have _accidentally_ stepped on their feet, hard, in the serving process.

It was when the night started to dwindle down and I was clearing tables that I realized this group of pirates wasn't quite as amiable as the normal sorts we got at our bar.

"Good job putting that _Molly_ in its place," the gruff one barked.

My ears immediately honed in on their conversation. Who was Molly and what had they done to her?

"That ass was so tight it nearly ripped my dick off," another spoke and my stomach started to churn. Why were they having this conversation now?

I know we're in a seedy little bar, but come on, show some decorum.

"Good thinking shoving your dick in his mouth to stop the screaming," another guffawed.

Ohh, _that_ kind of Molly. I was getting a really bad feeling about this conversation. This didn't sound like a consensual fuck party to me.

A more reserved member of their crew who had been sipping his drink slowly spoke up, "Do you think he's okay?" Finally someone who sounded concerned!

"Who cares? Fucker can bleed out in that alley for all I's care," the gruff man spoke again.

Oh my god. They'd… It sounded like they raped someone.

In an alley.

And left them to die?

Could they be that cruel? I had to do something. Looking over at the bartender with scared eyes was all it took for him to let me leave for the night, tip be damned.

Then I realized I had no clue what alley to look in and it's not like I could go back in and ask them, "Excuse me, what alley did you brutally rape that boy in again?" I didn't think that would go over too ell so I decided to walk down the road and glance into every alley as I passed with the hopes that I'd catch a glimpse of this person.

As I got nearer to the brothel I became more nervous. It wasn't a good area for a girl like me (one of the female variety) to be in this section alone so late at night.

I glanced in the alley before the brothel.

Nothing.

Looking in the alley on the other side I saw a shadow.

I had a moment of doubt. What if this wasn't the person? What if it was someone else and I was walking into something unsafe?

No, I had to know.

Walking into the alley I approached the figure.

_Dear God…_

There was a man. He wasn't moving. He definitely had been beaten and left here. His trousers were down about his ankles and some mixture of blood and God knows what else was leaking out from between his legs.

Those hadn't been men at the bar. They'd been monsters.

 

* * *

 

 

It took me over an hour's time to get the wounded man back to my small home that was only two short blocks away from this seedy section of town. Once in my house I carefully made my bed and situated him in it on his stomach so the most wounded area didn't have any unneeded pressure on it.

The man still hadn't stirred. I hoped he wasn't seriously hurt inside. Glancing over at his injuries, I felt anger simmering inside of me at the fiends that did this.

Quickly I gathered some basic cleansing supplies, a bucket filled with warm water and a cloth. For good measure I added this tonic that was supposed to help fight infection that my mother had gotten me when I had a particularly bad cut on my arm.

Anyway, back to the man in my bed. That doesn't sound nearly as innocent as I meant it. I sat down carefully on the edge of my bed trying not to disturb the slumbering person. First I wiped away all of the gross stuff that was on his skin. I washed away all of the blood, sweat and… other bodily fluids that those bastards had put on him. Then I directed my attention to the area between his legs. There was still blood seeping from there. Gingerly I applied the water and tonic to his most sensitive area gaining a whimper from him in the process.

He woke up slowly blinking his way into awareness with a tortured groan.

And then the panicking began. As soon as he realized he had no idea where he was, whose bed he was in, the thrashing started.

"Woah, calm down," I spoke urgently trying to get him to stop moving. "You're injured. Don't make it worse!"

That seemed to get his attention, as he was jolted back to the reality he was living in. He gave a defeated sigh, " _Fuck_ ," and slumped back into my bed, well and truly exhausted.

"'Fuck' is right," I agreed. "The really did do a number on you, didn't they?"

The reminder of what he endured was apparently too soon, the deed too fresh in his mind, as I was soon getting him a bucket to vomit into. After I calmed him down some and assured him of his safety I let him get some much needed sleep. There would be time for chit-chat in the morning.

 

* * *

 

 

I woke up much sooner than I would have liked when I heard movement in my room. My injured person was trying to escape!

"Where do you think you're going?" I boomed out trying to make myself as threatening as possible. It must have worked somewhat because he hunched up his shoulders and slowly turned around like he was afraid to face me, or something. He shuffled his feet around looking at the ground like it was the most interesting thing in the world. And trust me, it wasn't. "I need to get back to the ship," he spoke quietly.

My heart wanted to break all over again upon hearing this soft-spoken man. He was sweet, you could just tell, a gentle soul, and there were people here that wanted to hurt him, that _had_ hurt him. Pirates that wanted to destroy this gentle person.

Wait… "I'm sorry, I thought you said you were going back to the ship," there's no way this guy's a pirate. Not with _them_.

"I did," he said flatly.

"And you're going back after they did _that_ to you?"

"Yes," his response was stone, unmoving in his resolve.

" _Why_?" I couldn't understand. What would make someone willingly submit to that kind of abuse? What could be holding him to that boat?

A softness came over his countenance and I immediately understood. "Ohh, I guess not all of them are quite so _mean_ to you," I sent a good-natured jibe his way chuckling as his face heated up.

I just had one question for him, "Is he worth it?"

The abused man looked me straight in the eyes with those soulful blue orbs of his, "Absolutely."

And with that he hobbled his way out the door leaving me with a dopey grin on my face. True love conquers all or some bullshit like that. I'm sure someday I'll be sitting down with my grandchildren talking about today. About old what's-his-name.

Wait… what was his name?

I'd never asked for it.

Oh no, no that was _not_ acceptable. Didn't even tell me his name before going on his merry way.

Bolting to the door I was out on the street and caught up to the limping pirate before you could say "Lickety-split." Placing a hand on his shoulder I began, "Hey wait, I never got your name."

Sighing he turned to look at me. "Sorry, miss, my name is William Colebrook." He tipped his head in greeting and made to continue on his way.

I tugged on his shoulder roughly causing him to stumble, "Nice to meet you Mr. Colebrook. My name's Marta Utkin," feeling some sort of gentlemanly obligation, William grasped my hand and bowed, giving it a kiss.

"What a well-mannered pirate you are," I gushed. "You _must_ stay and eat dinner with me tonight."

"Sorry, Miss Utkin, I cannot. I must get back to the ship," he looked at me apologetically.

"But your ship doesn't leave until tomorrow," I just about whined.

My whining worked! As soon as the sentence left my mouth he stopped his pursuit of the little boat he called home. "How do you know when we move on from here?"

"Oh, I'm a barmaid," I answered rather flippantly, as if that explained it all. And I guess it did, for he nodded in understanding.

"So how 'bout it William, I _can_ call you William, can't I?" not waiting for actual permission, I plowed over any reply he might have had. "Eat a nice home cooked meal with me tonight. Then tomorrow you can go back to _Intrepid_ and your bonnie lass- er _lad_."

He gave me a long searching look before finally agreeing to eat a meal with me.

The thing that sticks out the most in my mind about William's visit was how much of an absolute peach he was. I was sad to see him go the next day as we had become fast friends. He promised he'd come visit me the next time they came to the island. I just hoped there would be a next time for him. Many of the crew treated him badly and his lover alone could not guarantee he'd survive on the open sea with a crew of monsters.


	14. Chapter Thirteen

**Sebastian's POV**

There's something wrong with William. I know it as sure as I know the sun will rise in the east every morning. He's been withdrawn. There are bags under his eyes and it is reminding me very much of when those bastards pissed in his bed. But it's also very different. It's as if the very life has been sucked out of him. His beautiful eyes are now hollow empty pools devoid of life.

Yet, I do not approach him because I fear that his condition is all my fault.

I may not be the smartest person out there but I know I said something back on that island that hurt him. I just have no clue what I said that made him react that way. Whatever it was, I don't want to make it worse. Maybe he needs some time to sort things out without me looming over his shoulder. I'll give him a couple of days to figure things out on his own. If nothing appears to be happening, perhaps then it'll be time to go to him and figure something out together.

 

* * *

 

 

Pacing.

I've been pacing outside his blasted door for close to ten minutes. My indecision is crippling me. Should I talk to him? Figure out what I've done wrong?

It's been four days since leaving that island and… well, nothing's changed. Except, I fear, William's getting worse. Every day is worse than the one before. He can barely move a few steps without falling over. HE looks exhausted all the time. I fear if I do not do something soon I might lose him forever.

I rapped on the door. A minute went by and there was no answer from William.

Maybe he was asleep? But, what I had to say was important. I decided to knock again.

Just as I was turning to walk away, figuring I'd try back later, I heard something that sounded suspiciously like a muffled scream coming from inside his room. I immediately whipped around and slung the door open. "What in the seven hells are you doing?" I boomed angrily at the disgusting scene that greeted me.

There on the floor of his room lay William wearing the beautiful noblewoman's dress that I had gotten him. That he had fucked me in. That wasn't the problem. It was everything else. Everyone else.

They had him spitted like a pig. One pirate in his mouth, another in his ass while the rest rutted against him or rubbed themselves as they watched the disgusting display.

There was blood and semen all over my lover and tears were streaming down his face as he choked, trying to call to me for help.

"Hey Sebastian, come teh join us?" Mark greeted with a thrust.

I was so angry at this defilement of my love, so boiling mad, that I couldn't even express my anger properly. Deadly calm I spoke clearly so everyone could hear. "I'm going to give you ten seconds. If anybody's still here after that," I pulled my sword from its sheath, "I will slice you up so small not even plankton will be able to make a meal of you. _One_."

There was a collective gasp.

" _Two._ "

The jerking and rubbing stopped.

" _Three_."

They pulled out of my poor William.

" _Four_."

William cried out in pain.

" _Five_."

They struggled to make themselves look decent.

" _Six_."

Pulled up their trousers.

" _Seven_."

And tied them.

" _Eight_."

They began fleeing out the door.

 _"_ _Nine_."

One of them tripped.

" _Ten_."

I shoved him outside of the room, pushing my sword through his gut to help him along. I gave an upward jerk and yanked my sword out, not even bothering to look at who I just killed before shutting the door and turning back to my love.

He was laying on the floor, hands over his head, humiliated by anyone seeing how they treated him. I sat down next to him without a word and moved his arms so I could see that beautiful tortured face. As he dissolved into tears I pulled him into my arms, holding and comforting him until he cried his fill. They had tainted our times wearing the same outfit, made those memories darker by using the same dress to defile him.

Once he was calmer I asked the one question I needed to know and dreaded the answer to all the same, "How long?" How long had I been oblivious to his suffering, let him suffer alone?

His watery eyes focused on mine before whispering, "Since the island. Every day."

My rage was near the boiling point again but I didn't let show. Instead I held William until he fell into an exhausted sleep. Gingerly I placed my love in his bed and went to fetch Wesley to take a look at his injuries.

As I stepped out of William's room I dully noted that the person who had tasted my blade was Gustav. We'd need a new master gunner. Bastard got what he deserved.

After sending Wesley on his way, I went to see my brother, Captain Jack Barlow.

I barged into his room without knocking to see him looking over our supply lists.

"Will you ever learn to knock?" he asked me tiredly.

"Not likely," I deadpanned before launching into the real reason I was here. He listened as I reported the harsh treatment that William has received from members of the crew since practically stepping onboard _Intrepid_.

My brother folded his hands sagely in front of him and, to my astonishment, sided with the bastards that hurt William. "That's what he gets for sleeping with men," he began, "And yes, I know he's sleeping with men." Looking right at me he continued, "Had I known he was a _Molly_ from the get-go, I would not have hired him. As it stands now, the only fate that awaits him is being thrown overboard with his hands bound tight behind him so there is no escape from drowning. The world will be a little lighter with one less of _them_ in it. It is a shame about poor Gustav though."

I couldn't believe the harshness of his words. They stung me to my very core, especially because everything he said could not only be spoken about William, but me as well. Is this what he would do to me if he knew that I liked men?

They always say on land that the only thing better than one hanging is two hangings. Time to find out how my brother will react when learning that his own brother does not like the fairer sex. Would he send us both off the ship?

"Then you damn well better throw me overboard with him because I'm the man he's fucking," I had just enough time to see my brother's wide eyed look of shock before slamming his door shut behind me.


	15. Chapter Fourteen

There was a loud commotion from outside my room, that ultimately ended with the captain busting through the door and scaring me half to death.  He fixed me a look that could make gargoyles crumble in fear.  Striding over to me, he grabbed my arm roughly yanking me from my bed.  “Get up _sodomite_ you’re going to the brig,” he snarled at me.

 

My heart fluttered in fear.  This was it, they were going to make me walk the plank.  And there was nothing I could do about it.

 

As I was pulled to the cell that  would hold me until my death, I was vaguely aware of jeers and taunting from those of the crew.  Nothing I could really remember with clarity, but they were all biting and insulting, designed to inflict wounds that would never heal on my psyche before they obliterated my existence from this planet.

 

He threw me into the dark, dank cell and left.  A couple hours later, Cookie made a cautious entrance into my cell holding a plate with some stale bread and a cup of water.   “As far as last meals goes, this ‘uns _shit,_ ” he remarked as he set the food and drink down on the cell floor in front of me.

 

I couldn’t help the fond smile that sprung upon my face at the cook’s  gruff words.  For all of his harshness, he’d been someone who truly seem to watch out for me.  “Thanks, Cookie.”

 

“Now don’t be lookin’ at me like that son, there’re worse things than walkin’ the plank… can’t think of any right now but, there’s gotta be,” as he talked his lip started quivering and I was worried he wouldn’t make it out of here without bawling.  “I’m gonna miss yeh, lad,” he sniffled.  “If I had a son, I'd want him to be just like you,” he said sincerely.

 

Deeply touched by his words, I thanked him for the food.  He left shortly after to prepare food for the crew.

 

As the time passed in  my cell, my thoughts became a prison to me as well.  I thought about my life, about decisions I had made and wondered if I had done enough. Had I led a good life?  Had people benefited from having me in their life?  Would Sebastian… would losing me hurt him?  I wanted him to have a good long life.  I thought of all those “what ifs” until my mind went numb and I stared at the wall for hours.  Unmoving, unblinking, just staring and waiting for the end.

 

Some time into the night two people entered my cell.  The first one was Wesley.  The second, Sebastian.

 

Wesley nearly said goodbye to me and left rather quickly, leaving Sebastian and me alone in the brig.

 

“You’ll walk tomorrow,” Sebastian informed.

 

His words were lead in my stomach.  I swallowed thickly, “That soon?”

 

He looked away from me crossing his arms crossed his chest, swallowing thickly he answered, “I tried _everything_ to get my brother to see reason, but he is unbending in his decision.  I fear this’ll be our last night together.”

 

He reached through the bars that separated us and grabbed my hands holding on as if his very life depended on it.  Suddenly, there was so much I wanted to say to him and so little time. 

 

“I love you,” I needed him to know that.

 

“I love you too, William.”

 

“Sebastian,” I spoke in a rush, “let's go far away from here!  Somewhere, Where is the captain want to be mad.  Maybe back to that island.  Somewhere, where we can love each other without fear from anyone.  We deserve much better than we’ve ever had!   We deserve to be happy with the person we love!”  I finished with conviction.

 

“William,” my love fixed me with those stormy eyes, “I will do everything in my power to get you out of here.”  And I know he’d trying his hardest.  I had to trust that'd be enough.

 

I fell asleep sometime that night, still clutching Sebastian’s hand like a lifeline.


	16. Chapter Fifteen

I was awoken from my light fitful doze by the clanking of keys. Somebody was coming to let me out of this godforsaken cell. That could only mean one thing: I was going to be walking the plank. I wasn’t sure how long I was down here in the underbelly of the _Intrepid_. Time didn’t mean anything when you never saw the light of day. I haven’t seen Sebastian since he promised to get me out of here. That was days ago, I think, and here I still sit rotting in the brig.

I glanced tiredly toward the door of my cell just making out the silhouette of a trusted member of Captain Jack’s crew. They fumbled with the keys before finally fitting them in the lock. Soon the door swung open and I was greeted with a swift kick to the stomach. _So they sent Mark to get me_ I dimly thought as I curled up on the floor of my cage hoping he’d leave me alone.

“Get up _sodomite_ ,” the man hissed.

I tried to push myself up off of the floor intent on following his orders quickly, even though he’s the reason I was down there in the first place. But apparently I wasn’t quick enough for his liking because I soon found myself being hauled to my feet by a tight grip on my upper arm.

“Guess what?” Mark said with an almost cheerful lilt to his voice. “We’s had a little vote an’ you’re gonna walk the plank.”

Oh yeah, he was practically giddy with glee.

He roughly forced me against the wall of the ship, smashing my face against it while he wrestled my hands together behind my back. Thick twine was then tied around my wrist tightly. I hissed in pain.   I could feel the twine cutting into my wrists drawing blood.

“You’re gonna walk it right now,” he continued to manhandle me up the rickety steps and onto the deck where the whole crew was waiting to bid me farewell.

As I was led toward the plank I was poked, punched and kicked by members of the crew. They made lewd comments about me and about my relationship with Sebastian.

 _Oh God,_ how did they _know_ about that?

“Molly’s finally gonna get what’s coming to him.”

“We’ll show them where they _really_ belong.”

“Where’re we gonna find another ass that tight?”

“Hell will take them!”

The insults continued but I paused in my walking.

There at the beginning of the plank standing right next to the captain was my love. He looked roughened up quite a bit and, like me, his hands were bound behind his back. I found myself hoping they didn’t tie his hands up as tight as mine. It was bad enough they were tied up at all.

Why were they tied though? Surely the captain wasn’t going to make his own brother walk the plank. I couldn’t stand it if Sebastian were to suffer the same fate as me.

Then all at once rage hit me. I charged forward trying to attack the captain. “How could you do this?” I shouted at the man. “How could you do this to your own brother?”

But my shouts went unanswered by the cold hearted man.

I was pushed up onto the piece of wood with Sebastian right next to me. We were facing each other pressed close together so we both could stand on the thin board. If my hands were unbound I would have embraced him.   As it were, I gazed into his eyes knowing this would be the last opportunity I would ever get to do so.

Sebastian broke my gaze and looked to his left. I looked to my right to see what had taken his attention away from me. There, far in the distance, was land. We were both avid swimmers and I knew we’d have no problem making it to the distant shore. But with our hands tied, it was another unobtainable dream.

Just like carrying out a life with the man I loved.

Mark sneered at the two of us perched on the plank. “Any last words?” he asked taking on the role of executioner in stride. _Bastard_.

Sebastian refused to say anything. Instead he spat at the crew. I think it got his point across.

Instead of even glancing towards the crew I fixed my eyes on Sebastian’s stormy orbs. “I love you,” I spoke with strength I definitely didn’t think I possessed.

He just looked at me and nodded. He knew.

I just needed him to hear it one last time. “I’m yours, you know,” I all but whispered to him.

“I know,” his lips moved but no sound came out.

“And if Hell’s really where we’re going then I’ll love you still in Hell,” I promised.

No sooner had the words left my mouth than we were pushed off the plank.

And down we fell.

The wind whipped through my hair bit at my skin. Then there was the sharp slap of our bodies hitting the water. I immediately went under. The waves dragged both of us down towards our watery grave. My lungs were aching from trying to hold my breath and I knew all too soon I’d have to inhale regardless of whether I was above the water or not. There were little spots dancing in my vision. A sign that I would soon pass out. As soon as I pass out I’d be dead. I’d have no control of my body’s functions and I would breathe in the water.

I felt myself losing consciousness and let the dark take me. As I closed my eyes for the final time I imagined Sebastian’s warm hands in mine one last time.


	17. Chapter Sixteen

I woke up with a gasp blinking my way into semi-coherency. I was on a soft surface with a blanket over me. A bed, no doubt. Looking around I realized I was in a cabin of sorts, and in the bedroom of his cabin, but not just any cabin. It was Sebastian's little cabin by the sea. Perfectly quaint as it had been when he first brought me here. It seemed strange that my heaven would be this place. Strange but fitting, this was all I wanted for my future. A place in Sebastian's future. The only thing that could make it better is if the man himself walked in the door.

As if reading my mind, there were footsteps gradually getting closer to the room I was in.

Sebastian walked into the room. My breath hitched in my throat at just how good he looked. But then, this was my afterlife, and I supposed he'd look however I wanted him to look. Never in my wildest dreams did I think he's look so amazing in farmer's garb.

"You're awake," he breathed, barely louder than a whisper. He sounded worried, as if he was afraid I'd never wake up again. Although, I'm confused, last I remembered we were thrown overboard, walked the plank, on _Intrepid_ with our hands bound. Surely…

"Aren't we dead?" I voiced my innermost thoughts out loud for the first time. My throat was scratchy and my voice cracked from lack of use. Okay, I definitely wouldn't want to sound like that for my eternity.

Sometime in my musings, Sebastian had moved to sit beside me on the bed. He picked up my hands and caressed them gently before kissing each in turn. "We're not dead, William."

A relief coursed through me so sure and strong that I almost wept. I had not even realized throughout all the hardships that I truly _did_ want to live. Now that I had a second chance at life I was grateful. "How?" I managed to choke out past my almost crippling emotions.

"How indeed," Sebastian mused seeming to get lost in his thoughts as he absentmindedly stroked my hands with his thumbs. "Would you like me to tell you what happened?"

I nodded, eager to hear how we survived.

"It was the night before we walked the plank…

**Sebastian's POV**

After I had left William in the brig, for what I hoped was the last night, I went to see my brother prepared to beg for William's safe release. For the first time ever, I knocked on the door to his cabin instead of just barging in, standing there awkwardly until he answered.

He moved aside to let me in, a resolute look to his face. Whatever he expected me to say to him, he already had an answer. Nothing I did would sway whatever master plan he had put into action.

"Please don't kill the man I love," I begged with a conviction I didn't even know I possessed.

"I won't kill him," my brother spoke the sentence as if it physically hurt him.

"You're not going to make him walk the plank?" I asked scarcely believing his words.

"Oh, he's walking the plank," I opened my mouth to argue. After all, he had just said he wouldn't kill William, yet my brother said he'd walk the plank. Those two things didn't really go together. Walking the plank did not equal living. He stopped my protests before they even had a chance to leave my mouth, "And you'll walk it with him."

I couldn't believe his words. "So, that's your solution? Kill both of us? You're _disgusting_."

"Sebastian," my brother growled out getting annoyed with my words, "I already told you, nobody's dying."

"I don't understand."

"Then shut up and let me explain what's going to happen tomorrow," my brother snapped with an upward turn his lip. "I'm actually surprised you didn't notice it."

"Notice what?" this cryptic bullshit was really starting to get on my nerves.

"We're headed back to the island."

Why? We never went home so quickly.

"Tomorrow when you both walk the plank, we'll be close enough to swim to your beloved island." I was about to ask how he expected us to swim there with our hands bound when he answered my silent question. "You'll be thrown into the ocean together. I'll be binding both of your hands with rope. His are going to be tightly bound. You will be able to pull your bindings right off." He went over to his dresser and pulled out a worn wooden case. My heart did a painful lurch in my chest, it was our father's dagger. He pulled it out of its worn casing and handed the beautifully made weapon to me. "Use this to slice through his ropes." I knew that this was my brother's way of saying goodbye to me. We wouldn't meet again on this earth if he could help it. "Then all you have to do is swim to your island."

I couldn't believe his words. He was giving me a way out. I was to live the live I had always wanted to live away from the sea. He was giving me a way to live a life with William.

"But, we both love men. Just days ago you let me know how disgusting you believed that is. Why the change of mind?"

"Honestly," he began, rubbing the back of his head in a sheepish gesture, "I have no problem with anyone being with a man, as long as they don't make a pass at me."

"Then why the harsh words?" I was genuinely curious.

"I had no idea you even liked men. My words were… more for selfish reasons. Let's say self-preservation," my brother admitted.

"So, you didn't tell me your thoughts because you were afraid of how the rest of the crew would react?"

"Exactly," he agreed.

"Coward," I jibed fondly.

"You were always the brave one," he smiled sadly.

"Tomorrow might be the last I see of you," he stated mirroring my earlier thoughts. "I shall miss you, little brother."

He pulled me into a strong embrace before reluctantly letting me take my leave.

Now all I had to do was put on a convincing act tomorrow when we were made to walk. I knew I couldn't tell William what I had learned. That was a story for another time, perhaps when we made it to my cabin.

* * *

 

I watched as my love was pushed toward the plank, blood boiling as members of the crew punched and kicked him shouting insults about our love for each other. My brother had already bound my hands in private and told me that Mark was given the job of tying up Williams hands. Damn bastard probably tied them up really tight.

"Molly's finally gonna get what's coming to him."

"We'll show them where they _really_ belong."

"Where're we gonna find another ass that tight?"

"Hell will take them!"

Then he saw me standing at the beginning of the plank next to my brother. We had purposefully made me look roughened up, like I had lost a fight with the man standing next to me. But William looked like he had gone through hell and back, and he probably did. I got a glimpse of his hands tied behind his back when Mark pushed him roughly forward, causing him to stumble. There was blood staining the rope where it bit into his skin.

Even so, I saw no sadness for himself in his eyes. Those expressive orbs were filled with worry for me. He was confused and then, he seemed to understand exactly why I was tied up and standing next to the plank.

Rage clouded his expression and Sebastian charged forward trying to attack the captain. "How could you do this?" he shouted at my brother. "How could you do this to your own brother?"

But my brother merely ignored him.

We were both pushed onto the plank facing each other. We were so close but unable to wrap our arms around one another because of that cursed rope. He gazed into my eyes, thinking this was it. This would be the last time he'd ever get to see me.

I looked to my left, if this plan didn't work, if something went wrong, this could very well be the last time we'd be together. But there in the distance was hope, the island. I could do this. I'd get us both to that island.

Mark sneered at the two of us perched on the plank. "Any last words?" he asked with an upward sneer of his lips. He was truly a disgusting specimen of man and I looked at him in silence, jaw clenched and gaze strong.

I decided the best course of action was to spit at the crew. That would certainly get my opinion of them across.

William looked up at me, "I love you," he spoke with such certainty that it took me by surprise.

All I could do in answer was nod my head.

"I'm yours, you know," he whispered.

"I know," I mouthed unable to actually put sound to my words.

"And if Hell's really where we're going then I'll love you still in Hell," William promised.

No sooner had the words left his lips than we were pushed off the edge.

And down we fell.

The wind was strong on our descent. Our clothing billowed in it, whipping our flesh as we fell. Then we hit the water. With a mighty slap that knocked the wind out of me we were in the water. William immediately began to sink.

I quickly went to work slipping out of the bindings around my wrists. I swam to the surface and took a mighty gulp of much needed air and wrestled my father's dagger out of my boot. Then I kicked both shoes off. They would only slow me down as I swam to shore. I dove under and began to look for William. I saw him sinking into the depths of the ocean and quickly made to follow. By the time I got to him he was unconscious and I prayed that I wasn't too late to revive him.

I dragged him to the surface and draped him over my back, then began to make my way to shore. It took longer than I would have liked, but we finally made it to shore. I laid him out on the beach and immediately blew air into his mouth trying to get him to breathe on his own. He coughed up water and passed out exhausted, but alive.

Looking out into the distant sea I noticed that the ship was already gone.

* * *

 

**William's POV**

"Then I carried you back here and have been waiting for you to wake up ever since," Sebastian finished his tale.

All the events that had transpired while I was locked in the brig were amazing. The lengths Sebastian and Captain Jack went to in order for us to escape were amazing. I was so glad we were on this island together in Sebastian's cabin.

In his cabin… I shuffled my feet to get up from my laying position. "I guess I'll be going then." I made to get up but Sebastian gently pushed me down.

"You're in no condition to move yet. You nearly drowned out there," he admonished.

"But, I can go to the Inn in town," I argued, "I don't want to intrude on your perfect life as a farmer, here in your cabin," I bit out with more spite than I meant to show.

"What do you mean?" Sebastian looked at me searching for answers, "When have I ever said that you weren't welcome here?"

"That day in your cabin, you said that you wanted to live here, just you and your cabin," I accused.

"That was the original plan from my youth, yes," he agreed and my heart hiccupped in pain. "But then I met this wonderful man and I wanted to share my simple life with him, that is if he wants to stay with me?" he ended, waiting for me to say something.

"You want me to stay?" I managed to choke out.

"More than anything," was his sincere answer. "I want you to stay with me until the end of time itself."

"Now, you're being dramatic," I accused with a laugh.

"Maybe, but that's how I feel," Sebastian assured me.

I thought about our future together on this island. We could go for walks all over the land and farm. Marta was here. And Sebastian. There were endless possibilities to our future. "I'll stay here with you, Sebastian." I declared.

We shared a gentle kiss. It was the first of many sweet memories that in our new life together.


End file.
